Rejection
by MarbleSky
Summary: The young warrior came back down to the Underland following his baby sister. He finds that the bat who saved his life, the one he bonded with, is no longer accepted among the fliers. But hadn't he saved him from that? Or was his act of courage only accepted by the humans? One-shot.


**Hey guys! This is a story I thought about recently after watching a movie. There was this thing about banishing someone and I was all for it, because I don't really like the character anyway, but then I realized that maybe there's been times where some characters were wrongly shunned. And of course my mind shot straight to this scene. My personal interpretation of what happened. Hope you guys like it!**

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The air was calm as he soared easily back to the caves. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt so off still, but he knew he'd stay away from the city for a few days. At _least_. The Overlander boy had protected him with every good intention in his kind, naïve heart, but the consequences of that in the near future were almost palpable. He'd have to steer clear of the humans for some time.

It seemed he had only begun his journey back home when he felt someone join him. Color, of course, was indistinguishable through his echolocation, but the size of his new companion, as well as the familiar way of flapping her wings, revealed her identity immediately.

"Did he get home safe?" Aurora asked him through the high-pitched squeaks of their native speech.

"I dropped him off at the gate without complication. It is from my understanding that there are no imminent dangers for them above. They should be quite safe by now."

"Hopefully he will be alright after all that has happened here."

Ares nodded as best as he could while flying and then spoke softly in actual words.

"This boy has much to teach us."

"Think you that he will return for the other prophecies?"

"Perhaps."

Now it was Aurora's turn to pause and let the silence soak in for a moment. "He is a good boy. Caring. I am glad he is alive and well."

Ares slowed their pace to a comfortable, almost lazy speed. It forced Aurora to open her wings wider and angle them to catch more wind, slowing her to his level. There was enough light now to physically see the other, and when she turned back with a look of confusion, the larger black bat locked eyes with her.

"Are you saying that because of Henry? Because I let Henry fall and I saved the Overlander?"

Aurora sighed, breaking their eye contact. "I will not judge what you did, Ares. I am your friend, and know you that I would _never_ do that."

"But you resent me for it."

"If I were in your place, I am sure I would have done the same. I love Luxa, more than I thought I ever would, but were she in the wrong and planning to turn us over to the gnawers, I would have saved the boy. The humans believe blindly in these prophecies, and many have come true. If this one is true as well, and so are the rest, he will _save_ us, not condemn us."

"I miss him," Ares said simply, his voice unwavering, but Aurora knew he wasn't talking about the Overlander.

No matter what he felt inside, there was no way it would ever make itself to the surface. No one would ever see the guilt he felt for letting his bond die. Or how angry he felt at Henry for keeping him out of these deals he had with the gnawers. Not that he would have joined him, but if he were more informed, he might have at least been able to try and talk him out of it.

But Henry hadn't trusted him enough. In the end, after revealing himself as a traitor, despite what the gnawers had done to his parents, Henry showed himself to the entire Underworld as what he truly was: a selfish coward. Ready to stab a gnawer in the back while it slept and turn his own cousin over to the enemy in order to ensure the throne for himself.

And yet he missed him. There were plenty of wild, crazy, sometimes mischievous and cheeky but mostly hilarious memories that he would always cherish. Henry was the first true friend he ever had, and the most painful thing to accept was that the boy might have been faking their bond the entire time.

"She misses him too," Aurora said softly. "I have never seen her more distressed. Not even after the king and queen lost their light. He was her last connection to her childhood. Now…she has nothing."

"She has you," said Ares, giving her a sad glance. "Perhaps she will trust you more than Henry trusted me."

"Ares, this is _not_ your fault," she told him, almost too sternly. Aurora's tone caused him to look at her again, though this time his gaze was lingering as he stared at the slight frown in her golden furry features. "Do not blame yourself for it. You did not break a bond with Henry. You broke a bond with a boy who was no longer the one we knew. The Henry we knew would have never done that."

"We do not know that. I am beginning to think they might have been the same person. He was simply too good at deceit and we never saw past it."

"We must not torment ourselves with the things we can only wonder about now. Henry is dead. As much as it hurts Luxa and the rest of us to accept it, his light has been taken and it was through his own choices. We must move on and learn from it. His attempt to turn the favor of war to the gnawers has failed, and all we can do now is help the Overlander to make sure that one day there can be peace."

"Sound you like Vikus, at times," Ares said gruffly.

"Vikus is a man with many emotional scars, acquired through years of hoping for peace so that the ones he cares for are never hurt again. He has lost two children and his wife to the military, all in different ways, and yet he keeps hoping. How many people can say that they have seen their bond destroyed twice? I am _tired_ of seeing Luxa suffer. How I wish I could have done anything to keep her from such tragedies. If I could have killed the gnawers who slit her parents' throats, I would have. If I could have…done something to avoid Henry's betrayal over her…I would not think twice."

Ares flew in silence, letting Aurora's words take an extended effect on his mind. She didn't need to say _kill_ when she was referring to Henry. If she had the choice to kill Henry in order to protect Luxa, she would have taken it in a heartbeat.

Yet just a few minutes earlier she claimed she would have let Luxa die in order to ensure peace in the Underland. Bonds weren't supposed to prioritize, and yet here they were, discussing options.

Her comments also made him realize something else: that life was nothing more than a game of deceit. Perhaps Luxa was the only other being who knew Aurora to be this way. Everyone else saw her as firm but sweet, gentle and caring with a sense of protectiveness But the golden flier was much more than that, and it was only when they were alone that she allowed herself to be seen that way.

If even Aurora could hide her true nature, there was no telling what Henry was capable of.

Their flight finally came to an end when they reached the High Lands, the cliffs that held residence to the flier species. Ares and Aurora made their way to the cliff where they usually spent their evenings, sharing fish over a nice conversation. He doubted there would be any pleasant conversations in the days to come, but maybe one day, things could be normal again.

They began their descent and saw a few fliers waiting for them, instantly sparking a sense of caution. Ares didn't have too many friends, even among the fliers, and seeing just one bat waiting for him was something unusual. Now, however, there were four of them, and although he had seen all of them before, they also had one other thing in common: None of them looked happy.

"Ares," one called out using the high pitched squeaks of the fliers. He was an older bat named Krino, one of the few who was larger than Ares, though he had a soft tan color on his fur. Even through squeaks, everyone could tell he had a deep, commanding voice. The fact that he was there waiting for him led Ares to feel increasingly uneasy, as Krino was one of Queen Athena's generals.

"Greetings," was all Ares replied with, choosing to wait until the situation unfolded. He had always been careful of his words, but now it was practically imperative.

"Know you why we are here?" he asked. There wasn't a single movement to step back from the slight gust of wind pushed towards him and the others when Ares and Aurora finally landed. He simply stared on with fixed eyes on the black flier. It's almost as if Aurora didn't exist.

"No."

Again, Krino sat through Ares' short response with legendary patience. One of his companions however, a medium sized red bat with scars all over his wings, stepped forward with a look of disgust.

"We are here because of the boy," he growled.

Ares sighed, never once looking at him, whom he knew was called Miseo. Instead, he kept his gaze on Krino's imposing presence.

"He is in the Overland by now, far away. The humans have decided to let him return to the surface."

"You should have gone with him," said a third, sandy colored bat. He could have been Aurora's male twin if his fur color were not so pale.

"What mean you by that, Apotheus?" Ares replied stiffly, breaking away from his eye contact with Krino to stare the other one down. "To the Overland?"

"He is your _bond_ , now," he sneered.

Miseo snarled to pull everyone's attention back to him. "The Overlander is not the boy I was referring to."

"He is correct," spoke Krino again, his voice as calm as ever. "The human Henry has lost his light and by now it is common knowledge that it was through your choice and your choice alone."

Ares dropped his head and shifted uneasily. "Henry was in alliance with-"

"Whether he was or was not is a different issue, Ares. The fact is that he has perished due to your choice to save someone else and not him. We fliers have a strong alliance with the humans. They are who we rely on the most, and the need is mutual. However, they might see it best to end this alliance if the bonds between us cannot be trusted."

A frown crossed Ares' face as he tried to figure out what Krino was telling him. He was only silent for a few seconds but the older bat took it upon himself to explain.

"If the humans decide that bonds are useless ties now that other things come into play, what would be the point of bonds anymore? Or an alliance in general?"

"The humans will not break relations with us over this," Ares said firmly.

"You do not know that!" shrieked Miseo, gnashing his teeth, apparently more out of anger than actual aggression. "Do you have any idea the image you have created for us? Human-flier battle training has been a norm for centuries! Do you know when that stopped? Today! Two dozen humans had second thoughts about going into battle with their _bonds_ because they were afraid they would be dropped in order to prioritize a puny _foreigner_."

"What should I have done then?" asked Ares as the rage began to grow inside him. Miseo's outburst had caused Aurora to inch closer to Ares, and he instinctively pushed his wing over her slightly in a defensive stance. "Should I have saved Henry and then watch as the gnawers eradicated the humans? You speak of fearing the end of an alliance. Had I let Henry live, there would be no more humans left to have an alliance with."

Krino shook his head slowly, extending a long claw to keep Ares and Miseo from a physical confrontation. Everyone knew that it would be the only warning.

"It was a bond," Krino said evenly. "A bond that you and the boy had. Must I remind you the words of the sacred pact? Your lives were made one as far as you could help it. A terrible outcome would have surfaced if the boy survived. We all know it. But in choosing to let him die, the decision was for your life as well."

The final meaning of their visit sunk in. Ares suddenly understood why there were so many of them. He let Henry die, and because he was the bond, he was supposed to have died at the bottom of that cliff too.

His attention was then brought to the fourth bat there, Perilupos who up until then hadn't produced a single sound. He was a rather small bat for his age, dark brown and surprisingly friendly, from what Ares remembered. No doubt he was there because he was Krino's son, but was he supposed to help the rest of them kill him?

"We will not take your light," said Krino, as if reading his thoughts. "We will not kill the one who is bonded to the so-called Warrior. The humans believe he is, and after his…public stunt in bonding with you, there is no way we could do something like that without negative attention."

"But it means you need to leave," spat Apotheus. "Queen Athena will order us to summon you within the next few days. When that happens, we hope not to find you. Your official hearing will be postponed for some time, and after more pressing matters come up, she will forget all about you."

"And then I can come back?" Ares asked hesitantly.

Krino shook his head again, this time accompanied with a deep sigh. "The humans have decided not to banish you from their city because of what that child did, but that does not mean we have to continue associating with you. We cannot let our children see you living among us like nothing happened, as if actions did not have consequences."

"You cannot do this!" cried Aurora, stepping from around Ares to face them. "You will simply…outcast him?"

"We can and we will," Krino replied, the firm, serious tone returning when he looked at Aurora. "Without consequences, the pups will not be the only ones to take something from this. Someone else might decide to take matters into their own claws and make an attempt on his life. At least this way they know he received punishment and will choose not to interfere further."

"And what of the day the queen finds out?" challenged the golden flier.

"By the time Queen Athena finds out, it will be too late to do anything serious about it. She trusts my judgment and will understand that what I did was the easiest for everyone."

No matter how hard he tried to find an argument for that, Ares couldn't deny that what Krino was telling him was true. But despite this new reality, Ares didn't want to leave. He couldn't just turn his back on everything.

Then he understood. This was his punishment. He turned his back on his bond, and now he was being forced to turn his back on his home.

"Leave, Ares," warned Miseo. " _Or else_."

Ares was about to lunge for his throat, having nothing else to lose, when tiny brown Perilupos finally spoke in that tiny voice he had.

"Please, Ares. Just go. Please do not put yourself in danger."

"I believe there is nothing worse for me," growled Ares. "I have lost _everything_."

"They will go after the ones you care about!" he said quickly, his eyes pleading.

Ares tore his eyes away from Miseo to face Perilupos, but the smaller bat wasn't even looking at him. He was casting sad and frightened eyes toward Aurora, making Ares stop in his tracks and abandon all thoughts of battle.

He had forgotten about his friend.

What would they do to her if he didn't comply? Would they end up outcasting her as well? She had enough on her plate trying to care for a broken Luxa. She didn't need this.

"Fine," he sighed, unclenching his muscles and standing up straight again. "I will go. But on one condition." He looked up hopefully, remaining silent while he waited for a response. Krino nodded once, allowing the request. "I go, but no one else is affected. My friends will have no repercussions and the Overlander, if he ever returns, will not be shunned by the fliers."

Miseo snarled once more and Apotheus had a frown on his face, but when Krino gave him an identical nod to the previous one, Ares felt a weight life of his shoulders. If he could protect the others, then maybe his life in banishment wouldn't be in vain. He had to think about others beside himself.

Too bad it took him the death of a bond to figure that out.

"Tell the queen that I decided to leave on my own terms. That I do not wish to return. I cannot bear seeing anyone else after what happened."

He paid no attention to the stoic expression on Krino that almost betrayed the sadness behind his eyes, or the looks of triumph from Miseo and Apotheus at finally getting him to leave, or even the way Perilupos shook with anger at the situation for having no alternatives.

He didn't even stop when he saw the unshed tears in Aurora's eyes as he spread his large black wings and took lift. He simply rose into the air and dove into a cave, leading him far away from everything. There was nothing more for him anymore except to waste away with the guilt of losing his closest friend. Perhaps he _should_ have dove into the ground with Henry. At least he wouldn't be feeling so much guilt and anger and hatred right now.

Maybe…tucking his wings in and diving off a canyon was still an option…

And then he remembered something else. The reason he was alive now was because the Overlander had bonded to him. The child's decision to do that carried weight, it held a certain level of importance, and all because they thought him to be the warrior of prophecy.

Rumor had it that the warrior would not live forever. Everyone lost their light eventually, but his death was foretold. The Underland's ultimate hero would lose his light whenever Sandwich's prophecies were done using him. Ares couldn't exactly remember who he had heard it from or where, or if the prophecy even said that at all. But if it were true, then that would be his final straw. He would do for him like he didn't for Henry. He would stick by his side no matter what, make sure he understood what trust was, or at least proper communication, and when the time came where the warrior lost his light, Ares would willingly give his too. It was the ultimate attempt at redemption.

It was the only way.

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 **Leave a review or PM me if you'd like. As always, thanks so much for reading!**


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